Still Good Clement Taverniti Interview

It is always refreshing to see a new label come out and generate some good talk, hence I want to meet up with Clement Taverniti and find out more about his new label Still Good. Having launched it earlier in the year with an impressive debut collection for the spring/summer season, you can feel this is the beginning of something good.

JAMES OLIVER / Can you introduce yourself?

CLEMENT TAVERNITI / My name is Clement Taverniti and I’m 24 and live in Paris.

JO / What three words best sum you up?

CT / Passionate, “bon-vivant”, open-minded –

JO / What do you do?

CT / I’m a fashion designer and I launched my own brand in the summer of 2012 – Still Good. I used to work for Kitsune and Dries Van Noten gaining valuable experience before launching my own project. It’s a menswear line which is creative and easy to wear at the same time, a mix of casual
/ street and high end fashion, something I really wanted to bring forward in the upcoming collections. Hard worker! Alone to manage everything!

JO / Why did you want to start Still Good?

CT / I’ve always been living in the fashion world! My father had his own brand during the 80s – Jimmy Taverniti – My older brother is also in, working for a denim brand in Los Angles -Hudson- But Ive also got a large vision of art in general as my mother is an artist painter and has always been a collector of art and design. This has a big importance for me when Im creating – design and art has a very good influence on fashion.

So it became quickly a real passion and now fashion means a lot for me – a way of expressing yourself – offering a lifestyle through a personality – I’ve been working for Homecore during my studies at Esmod in Paris, then when I got graduated Ive worked for Dries Van Noten and Kitsune – the best experiences ever , I learnt a lot about the fashion industry- Dries Van Noten is one of my favorite brand – gradually I really start finding my own style and vision and all these experiences really confirmed my wish to create my own brand and I was completely ready to give my own vision of fashion, without really taking of the difficulty of this market- I just decide to do what I love doing- what Im done for – Passion and blossoming first !

JO / What does the name mean to you?

CT / The name comes from an ad campaign of my father’s brand during the 80s – a homeless taking a jeans out a trash exclaiming “Still Good” – encore bon. There is a strong story behind this name, part of my family story, that really means a lot for me – I couldn’t find any better name for me for my own brand. And moreover this name is quite interesting and well adapted to the century we are living in, trying to pass a positive message, saying that everything is still possible actually, by the force of your passion and determination you can really realize your wishes –

JO / Can you talk about your ambitions you have for the brand?

CT / My first aim is really to develop a real designer brand – a creative – wearable brand but really trying to reinterpret all the basics – trying to give a new vision of fashion, my own vision of fashion – My dream would be in the future to be at the same level than brands like Dries Van Noten – Marni – Watanabe – Philip Lim – Adam Kimmel – but we know all that it takes time to built a strong identity, its own identity, even more when you don’t have a big financial structure, i have to try each seasons to bring more and more this high end – street vision, trying to do something more and more innovative and creative in order to get this recognition of the high-end market. One of the best contemporary example for me today is Tres Bien shop – there have really well understood what are the expectations of our market and this mix of culture and style that they mix very easily -they really have this double vision – high end knowledge as well as the urban/street vision – that really makes the difference when you decide to bring it forward to the final customer.

I really hope to get gradually the recognition for my own vision of how I see and interpret “fashion” as a real designer.

I’m also really into collaborations – I work hard on finding some very interesting collaboration for next collections as I did with Spring Court. Thats also the best way to establish a brand and develop the image of the brand.

Otherwise, in relation with my philosophy and my passion for design-art, Id like to develop an innovative concept that aims to find new artistic talents – you will find on my upcoming website a part called “LE MUR BLANC” – its a page where different artists- graphic designers- painters-photographers-writers-singers etc.. can post his own work and share it with other artists – and all the different posts will be gathered on one white page like a MoodBoard. Finally I will chose one artist maybe 2 times per year who attracted my intention the most!

JO / How do you feel the brand fits in in the market place?

CT / At that moment Im more considered like a urban – street brand , because thats where I’m from, Ive always evolved in a street culture – street art – always looking for the rarest sneakers, brands etc., that very selected – highly specialized – street wear really attracts me – I love the life style and the way of wearing clothes in this culture – relaxed but with style. But I see more and more that I really want to tend to a mature/creative brand to be considered as a real designer – So Still Good is gradually taking its place at some very selected – conceptual retailers such as Colette, Hunting and Collecting, Five Story NYC, etc.. where street/urban culture is sublimated by high-end fashion – and I think the brand is currently appreciated as a selected-street brand – and trying to catch the eye of the customer through the creativity and image I try to give- all this in a very competitive market!!

JO / What inspires you on a daily basis?

CT / I’m everyday finding the inspiration in the streets, magazines Im reading, I always take few hours a day to browse everything I could be interested in Internet – fashion but can be also art – design etc…
trying to get the largest vision of fashion and art culture – never lose something and then I could tell me “ok I think Ive done something that really satisfies me”!!

JO / How does travel inspire your work?

CT / I always enjoy Travelling, this is for me the best moment I can have to think about my collections – I can totally enjoy drawing – reading – finding new inspirations in many different cities etc– its all about calmness, tranquility and discoveries having time alone to work, doing only what I love !!

About the AuthorGreg Weinstein

In 1999, Greg launched Island Def Jam’s new media division, working with the record label to build the kind of Internet and social media infrastructure that every entertainment and media company takes for granted today. From there he brought his new media expertise and entertainment connections to the world of streetwear, serving as Marketing Director at Karmaloop and launching KarmaloopTV, a cutting edge project that bridged the gap between commerce and culture.
Thrillist Media Group then brought Greg to help grow the company’s presence in the world of cultural taste-making through the launch of its streetwear property, The Crosby Press.
Today, Greg serves as creative director at SlamXHype, one the most well-respected online publications in the streetwear space. Under his guidance, SlamXHype has experienced a renaissance in both influence and readership.